Author Topic: [Aura] Base Class - Marshal  (Read 2079 times)

Garryl

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[Aura] Base Class - Marshal
« on: June 22, 2017, 08:32:55 PM »
Marshal base class
This version of the marshal is a bit more active than the original. In addition to auras (which should be a bit more interesting and useful now), the marshal has a variety of commands to use which provide a variety of temporary buffs and debuffs. This marshal uses a new mechanic, presence, which ebbs and flows based on how much you use your abilities. The more you shout about, the less effect each command will have, but if you take the time you make every command count, they'll keep their prime potency.

Hit Die: d8

Table: The Marshal

Level
Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save

Special
Maximum
Presence
Auras Known
MinorMajor
1+0+2+0+2Major Aura +1, Minor Aura, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)--22
2+1+3+0+3Aura Shift (2 auras), Commands (momentary)233
3+2+3+1+3Dilate Aura (90 feet)343
4+3+4+1+4Major Aura +2, Voice of the People443
5+3+4+1+4Extra Aura (Minor)554
6+4+5+2+5Commands (tactical), Dilate Aura (120 feet), Leadership654
7+5+5+2+5Aura Shift (2 auras, 1 immediate)764
8+6/+1+6+2+6Major Aura +3864
9+6/+1+6+3+6Dilate Aura (150 feet)974
10+7/+2+7+3+7Commands (strategic), Extra Aura (Major)1075
11+8/+3+7+3+7Fearless Leader1185
12+9/+4+8+4+8Dilate Aura (180 feet), Major Aura +41285
13+9/+4+8+4+8Aura Shift (3 auras, 1 immediate)1395
14+10/+5+9+4+9Commands (warmaster), Contingent Command1495
15+11/+6/+1+9+5+9Dilate Aura (210 feet)15106
16+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Major Aura +516106
17+12/+7/+2+10+5+10--17116
18+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Commands (overlord), Dilate Aura (240 feet)18116
19+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Aura Shift (3 auras, 2 immediate)19126
20+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Aura Mastery, Aura Shift (all auras, 2 immediate), Major Aura +620127

Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a marshal, you are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Auras (Ex): As a marshal, your presence and leadership exerts an effect on allies in your vicinity. You can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one minor aura and one major aura at a time. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a divine mind 2/marshal 2 would be able to project both a major aura and a mantle aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.

Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind (major or minor). You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.

As a marshal, activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all allies within 60 feet (including yourself) that you can communicate with, even if you don't share a language. An ally must have an Intelligence score to gain the bonus (mindless creatures cannot benefit from your auras). Your aura is dismissed if you are dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to communicate.

Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.

Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. Your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You begin play knowing two minor auras of your choice. As your marshal level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Major Aura: You can project a major aura in addition to your minor aura. A major aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your major auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter. You begin play knowing two major auras of your choice. As your marshal level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.
(click to show/hide)

Skill Focus (Diplomacy): Because you have a way with people, you gain Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as a bonus feat. If you already have that feat, you can choose a different one that you qualify for.

Aura Shift (Ex): You can activate multiple auras at once. Beginning at 2nd level, you can activate two auras as part of the same swift action. At 13th level, this improves to three auras at once. Once you reach 20th level, you can activate any number of auras at once.

In addition, starting at 7th level, you can dismiss a single aura and activate a new one of the same type in its place as an immediate action. Beginning at 19th level, you can do so with two auras as an immediate action.

Commands: Beginning at 2nd level, you learn to use commands.

Commands have the same range as your auras. The save DC of a command is 10 + 1/2 your current presence score + your Charisma modifier.

Commands are mind-affecting compulsion effects (although many have additional descriptors) and have no effect on creatures that are unaware of your presence or with which you cannot communicate (body language is usually sufficient, even if spoken language is impossible).

You are never affected by your own commands except where explicitly indicated. You cannot target yourself with your own command.

Commands are normally extraordinary abilities. The few supernatural commands have an effective caster level equal to your presence score.

You know and can use every marshal command of the ranks available to you. Initially, you can only use momentary commands. You gain access to tactical commands at 6th level, strategic commands at 10th level, warmaster commands at 14th level, and overlord commands at 18th level.

Most commands grow stronger or weaker with higher or lower presence scores. Determine a command's effect using your presence at the time you used it, before applying its presence cost. Any changes to your presence score after you use the command do not affect it.

In order to use a command, you must have a presence score of at least 1. After using a command, your presence score decreases by the command's presence cost. You need not have as much presence as the command's presence cost, but if you do not, you will have a negative presence score afterwards as a result.

Presence: Your presence score is a numerical representation of ability to lead in the heat of battle. You use your presence to determine the potency and effects of your commands. Each time you use a command, your presence decreases after resolving that ability's effects, which may reduce it below 0. The amount decreased depends on the command used. If your presence is 0 or lower, you cannot use commands.

Beginning at 2nd level, your maximum presence is equal to your marshal level. Lost presence returns at a rate of 1 point per round. You can also spend a full-round action to take stock of the battlefield in order to restore your presence to its maximum value.

Dilate Aura (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the range of your auras and commands increases by 30 feet (to a total of 90 feet). Their range increases by 30 feet again every 3 levels thereafter.

Voice of the People (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, you learn to communicate across language barriers. Through a combination of body language, tone, and expression, you can make yourself understood by those who do not speak your language, and you can interpret their meaning the same way. Simple concepts that can be conveyed in a few words (such as "Help!" or "Drop your weapon!") can be conveyed automatically. More complex concepts require you to make a modified level check: d20 + your class level + either your Wisdom modifier (if trying to understand someone else) or Charisma modifier (if trying to make someone else understand you). Roll each only once per conversation. If you fail, you cannot try to communicate with that specific individual via this ability until you have gained a level. (Thus, it is possible, if you succeed in one roll but fail in the other, to hold a conversation where you can understand the other speaker but he cannot understand you, or vice-versa.)

The DC of the roll depends on creature type and how closely the individual's language is related to any of your own. The base DC for this roll is 20, and it increases or decreases based on how compatible your linguistic and nonverbal communication methods are with the individual. The ability works most effectively with other creatures of your type who speak a language that uses the same alphabet as a language you speak. (See Speak Language, PH 82, for this information.) Use the best modifier from each category to determine the DC of the check.

Table: Voice of the People
Creature's TypeDC Modifier
Same as yours+0
Humanoid+2
Fey, Giant, or Monstrous Humanoid+5
Deathless, Dragon, Elemental, Outsider, or Undead+10
Other creature type+20
Creature's LanguagesDC Modifier
Knows a language that uses the same alphabet as a language you know+0
Knows at least 5 languages+5
Knows at least one language+10
Knows no languages, Int 3 or higher+20
Knows no languages, Int 2 or less+30
Mindless+40

If the individual is deliberately trying to make himself understood, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on this roll. If you are attempting to interpret his speech from outside normal conversational distance (such as eavesdropping), you take a -4 penalty on this roll.

You can employ this ability with your commands in order to affect creatures that do not share a language with you. For the purpose of this ability, commands count as simple concepts and do not require a check.

If you have 5 or more ranks in Diplomacy, you gain a +2 bonus on this check for the purpose of making yourself understood. If you have 5 or more ranks in Sense Motive, you gain a +2 bonus on this check for the purpose of understanding another creature.

Extra Aura: At 5th level, you gain Extra Aura (minor aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more minor aura at once than normal (for a total of 2 minor auras and 1 major aura). At 10th level, you also gain Extra Aura (major aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more major aura at once than normal (for a total of 2 minor auras and 2 major auras). You must activate or dismiss your auras separately. You need not meet the prerequisites of these feats.

Leadership (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, you gain a Leadership score and you can attract followers as though you had the Leadership feat. This ability counts as the Leadership feat for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of feats and other options. Consequently, this allows you to select most Leader feats. This does not grant any other benefits of the Leadership feat, however, such as the ability to attract a cohort.

If you ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +2 bonus to your Leadership score and can use your Leadership score in place of your presence score when determining the effects of your commands on your followers (this doesn't let you use commands if you have an insufficient presence).

Fearless Leader (Ex): Beginning at 11th level, whenever you make a saving throw against a fear effect, you can elect to use your presence score (maximum 20) in place of the d20 roll. You do not automatically fail your saving throw if you use this ability with a presence of 1, nor do you automatically succeed with a presence of 20 or higher. This otherwise works just like a normal saving throw where you had rolled the indicated value, similar to taking 10 on a check. You must have at least 1 point of presence to use this ability. You can decide whether or not to use this ability after rolling your saving throw but before determining the results of the save.

Contingent Command (Ex): Starting at 14th level, you can prepare a plan of action with your allies. Select a single command you can use each time you use this ability. You must designate the targets of your command beforehand when you prepare it as a contingent command, all of whom must be willing and all of whom must be valid targets throughout the preparation time. This process takes at least 10 minutes to complete. If the command takes longer than 10 minutes, use that instead.

At any time, with no action, any of the targets of the command can will it to immediately come into effect. If the command targets multiple allies, any of them electing to use it causes the command to come into effect on all of them. Allies that are no longer in range are still affected by the command, although allies that are no longer valid targets of the command for other reasons are unaffected.

You can have only one contingent command at a time; if a second is prepared, the first one (if still active) is cancelled.

A command used this way does not reduce your presence score by its cost and its effects are determined as though you had your normal maximum presence, regardless of your presence score at the time.

Aura Mastery (Ex): Beginning at 20th level, once per day as a swift action, you can project any number of minor auras and major auras at once for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). You can change which major and minor auras you are projecting and activate new ones as part of this action.



Marshal Command List
(click to show/hide)

Command Descriptions
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Change Log
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« Last Edit: July 02, 2017, 12:14:22 PM by Garryl »
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Garryl

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Re: [Aura] Base Class - Marshal
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2017, 11:40:06 PM »
Some thoughts on a few of the marshal's major auras at 1st-2nd level (mostly 1st).

Quote
Motivate Endurance: Allies gain a bonus to their Armor Class while the ally has half of its maximum hit points or less. Allies within the aura that are reduced to 0 or lower hp automatically stabilize, can act normally, are are not at risk of damage from performing strenuous actions. While at 0 hp or lower, allies gain 5 temporary hit points per point of your aura bonus each round at the beginning of your turn. These temporary hit points last until the beginning of your next turn (when they are granted anew). Allies do not die and are not destroyed until their hit points are 5 lower than normal per point of your aura bonus.

Current thoughts on the matter of Motivate Endurance: The current version (above) seems like it would be too potent in the earliest of levels. Thanks to the Diehard aspect, there's an extra 10 hp to work with in a pinch for everyone in the party (at least until the marshal himself dies). It's a risky 10 hp, since you're eating into the buffer between unconsciousness and death, but it's there, and with it the aura effectively adds 15 hp to your staying power right at 1st level. There's also an inconsistency in power level, as nonliving creatures don't actually get that extra 10 hp buffer to use.

Also, technically, Motivate Endurance has a similar problem with nonlethal damage as Diehard from the PHB does. Any nonlethal damage is greater than your hit point total if you're at negative hp, so you fall unconscious anyways. That, or you're functionally immune to nonlethal damage, but only when at 0 or lower hp. Either way is inane.

There's also a small issue of Motivate Endurance functionally adding to your hp total, yet not really doing so, thus allowing it to stack with things that actually do, like the Tough It Out minor aura, which it shouldn't stack with.

One last thing, not directly related to the rebalancing effort, is the way temp hp gets granted. It's entirely binary, meaning that 1 hp difference can grant you 5 or more temp hp each round. There's also a little confusion with the timing, as there is either a theoretical moment where you've lost the previous round's temp hp but haven't received the temp hp for the new round, or you might not actually get temp hp in the new round at all due to the remaining temp hp from the previous round pushing you above the threshold. It's bugged me for a long time, but it never seemed worth the effort to rework on its own.

Proposed changes: Essentially rewriting the aura's mechanics, although keeping to the same concepts. Remove the Diehard aspect (conscious and can act at negative hp), although keep the automatic stabilization. Change the extended death threshold thing to a hit point bonus instead (similar to the Tough It Out minor aura). The temp hp at 0 or lower gets rejiggered, too. Note that the change from extending the death and consciousness thresholds to adding hp directly means that the AC bonus on 1/2 hp doesn't kick in until you've taken slightly more damage than before.

Motivate Endurance: Allies gain a bonus to current and maximum hit points equal to five times your aura bonus. These hit points are not lost first like temporary hit points, and disappear when the aura is lost. Allies with half their (newly increased) maximum hit points or less gain a bonus to their Armor Class. Allies reduced to 0 or lower hit points automatically stabilize. Each round at the beginning of your turn, allies with fewer hit points than five times your aura bonus, excluding temporary hit points, gain temporary hit points equal to the difference. These temporary hit points last until the beginning of your next turn as new temporary hit points as granted, or until the aura is lost.

Note: These changes would also apply to Pain and Suffering (divine mind mantle aura) and Stamina (dragon shaman draconic aura).

Side note: Add in a bonus to Endurance-modified checks/rolls (as the Long Haul minor aura) as an additional minor benefit. It's thematic, if nothing else, and it feels weird to have an aura called Motivate Endurance not boost Endurance. I believe the standard for secondary skill boosts on major-tier auras (divine, draconic, major, mantle) is 2x the aura bonus.

Quote
Inspire Pain: Each round at the beginning of their turn, enemies in the aura take damage equal to twice your aura bonus. This damage can be either lethal or nonlethal damage, chosen when the aura is activated. You can change this selection as the same type of action as activating an aura. This damage is not affected by damage reduction.

Inspire Pain and the auras like it for the divine mind (Death, Fire) and paladin (Wrath), are intended to provide a small but consistent source of damage to nearby enemies. They are intended to build up damage across multiple foes to aid the actual attacks and AoEs in dropping them, similar to how damage buffing auras do, but along a different vector. The auras are only intended to actually finish off enemies that have already been weakened by attacks that nearly, but not quite, dropped them already.

Inspire Pain's damage value is low, but unlike the similar auras of other classes, is available at 1st level, when monster hit points are also low. At higher levels, the damage the aura deals is insufficient to drop all but the weakest of enemies in a reasonable time frame, but CR 1/2 and lower monsters can often have 6 hp or less.

Proposed changes: The damage trigger changes from the beginning of enemy turns to the end. This gives enemies one extra round of actions before being dropped, and allows some counterplay by allowing them to flee beyond the range of the aura in order to avoid the damage before it triggers.

Note: These changes would also apply to Death, Fire (divine mind mantle aura), and Wrath (paladin divine aura).

Quote
Motivate Retribution: Melee attacks that hit allies cause the attacker to suffer 1d6 damage per point of aura bonus. This damage is not affected by damage reduction.

Motivate Retribution's reactive damage is a concern, much like Inspire Pain's automatic damage. The numbers are larger, although the triggers are less frequent. Motivate Retribution also has a slightly more direct comparison to damage adders like Motivate Ardor, which add +1d4 damage per point of bonus to allies attacks.

Against any melee attacker, Motivate Retribution is guaranteed to trigger if the enemy wishes to actually do anything in the fight. If the attacker needs to trigger the reactive damage enough to be dropped himself in the process of dropping a PC, then the battle is effectively won automatically by the Motivate Retribution aura, and that's a bad thing. Small hp pools, small to moderate damage values, and a prevalence of melee attacks (as opposed to ranged or magical attack vectors) at low levels make this a concerning issue. The variance in the retributive damage, and in standard damage rolls, does make an absolute guarantee of this much harder, at least.

Proposed changes: None yet, although I'll be keeping my eye on this aura's potential.
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